Corset



Jan. 24, 1956 s u z 2,731,638

CORSET Filed Jan. 28, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet L ATTORNEY A. STURZ Jan. 24, 1956 CORSET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 28, 1953 INVENTOR. 5%"4 ATTORNEY AWN United States Patent CORSET Anna Sturz, New York, N. Y.

Application January 28, 1953, Serial No. 333,646

3 Claims. (Cl. 2-39) This invention relates to corsets and more particularly, to corsets which are adjusted on the wearers body by cluster or draw lacing.

In corsets of the above type, the adjustment laces are disposed at the rear of the garment and the corset is tightened by pulling upon accessible adjustment straps. Conversely, the corset is loosened, as for removal, by pulling back on buckles which are disposed on said straps.

The action of loosening the garment has involved some difficulties for wearers because it requires the location of the buckles behind the wearer and, in particular, physically handicapped persons have found the maneuver to be troublesome. It should be noted that many wearers of such a corset are afilicted with arthritis and cannot conveniently locate the buckles behind them and properly draw upon them for loosening the garment.

The instant invention solves the above problem and further provides a corset which protects the back of the wearer against cold and covers the draw lacing section with a decorative shield. Notwithstanding the presence of such shield, the necessary access to the buckles is provided without requiring removal or displacement of the shield.

The invention will be further understood from the following description and drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a corset constructed according to the instant invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view with the supplementary rear shield removed.

Fig. 4 is an inner view of the supplementary rear shield.

Fig; 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view as taken substantially along the lines 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the adjustment buckle.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 7--7 of Fig. 6.

The body of the corset garment comprises a front section 10 having a row of hooks 11. The rear section 12 is composed of two panels 13 and 14 which are centrally separated from each other, the separation being traversed by, and being adjustable by, the network of cluster laces 15 as is conventional in these corsets.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the corset is tightened upon the wearers body by manually pulling upon the four straps 16. Each strap is provided with a buckle 17. Each buckle 17 is provided with a cross bar 18 around which the straps 16 form a loop. Serrations are further provided to afford gripping means. A pivoted tab member 19 is formed with rings 20 which receive the laces as illustrated in Fig. 3.

Pursuant to the instant invention, the slidable cross bar 18 is provided with supplementary end rings or fasteners 21 which are designed to receive the supplementary, loosening draw laces 22 of the instant invention. Thus the four buckles 17 are each provided with a draw lace 22 so that each may be actuated thereby.

The corset as shown in Fig. 3 is largely conventional save for the presence of the buckle rings 20 and draw laces 22. In accordance with the further objects of this invention, a rear shield 23 is applied over the rear section 12. Rear shield 23 is preferably, but not necessarily of elastic material such as Lastex or the like and may have conventional stiffening channels 24 and reinforcing strips 25. It is formed with upper wings 26 and lower wings 27, each of which may be reinforced with elastic panels. As shown in Fig. 3, rear panel 12 is provided with eyes 28. These eyes engage the rear shield hooks 29 so as to maintain the shield in position.

The shield 23 is disposed over the rear section 12 as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5 with the draw laces 22 extending through holes 30 in the reinforcing strips. These holes, it will be observed, are spaced from each other and each individually accommodates a single length of draw lace. Thus, effective physical access to the buckles is provided through the shield 23 while such shield covers the buckles and the network of cluster laces.

When the corset is applied to the wearer, she tightens it by pulling upon the straps 16 which are long and extend outwardly of the shield 23 as illustrated in Fig. 2. However, loosening of the garment is a more difficult matter since it requires actuation of the buckles 17. Pursuant to the instant invention, this is accomplished simply by grasping the exposed loops of draw laces 22 and successively pulling the upper and the lower sets thereof. This action draws the buckles over the straps 16 and loosens the corset.

It will be noted in Fig. 2 that the draw laces 22 are effectively isolated from the network of cluster lacing and from any other elements which might confuse the wearer. It is only necessary that the exposed and easily found loops of laces 22 be pulled. In addition, the rear shield 23 is of pronounced benefit in covering the separation between panels 13 and 14 and insulating the wearers back against cold. This aspect is of importance for many persons who wear these garments. When the garment is worn in the position shown in Figure 2, the straps 16 may be concealed behind the shield 23 as by inserting the ends thereof through the loops 31 so that the rear of the corset will show no straps and thus add to the neatness and decorative effect of the shield.

What is claimed is:

1. In a corset body having a rear section comprising a pair of centrally separated panels and including a network of cluster laces across the separation, buckles to which the cluster laces are fastened, and lace adjustment straps on which said buckles are slidably disposed, said buckles including a slidable cross bar for releasably locking said lace adjustment straps relative to the buckles, a pair of rings on each of said cross bars, a supplementary draw lace for each buckle and having ends respectively secured to each of the rings of a cross bar, a rear shield covering said panels and buckles and being removably connected to the panels, each of the supplementary draw laces extending through holes formed through said rear shield so as to be externally manually accessible whereby said cross bars may be actuated externally of said shield to adjust the cluster laces.

2. An article according to claim 1 and wherein said draw laces are four in number divided into one upper and one lower pair and each forming a single loop on the exterior of the shield.

3. In a corset body having a rear section comprising a pair of centrally separated panels and including a net work of cluster laces across the separation, a plurality of buckles to which the cluster laces are fastened, and lace adjustment straps on which said buckles are slidably disposed, said buckles including a slidable cross bar for releasably locking said lace adjustment straps relative to the buckles and being disposed at the rear of the corset body, a plurality of supplementary draw laces each secured to one of said cross bars, a rear shield having side edges secured over said panels and covering said buckles, each of the supplementary draw laces having single-lengths thereof each individually extending through one of spaced holes formed through said rear shield so as to be externally manually accessible whereby said cross bars may be 5 actuated externally of said shield to adjust "the cluster laces.

References 'Cited in thefil'e of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,558,661 Yeganian Oct. 27, 1925 10 Hoier Oct. 24, 1933 Camp June 26, 1934 Cotey et a1. Mar. 23, 1937 Greenfield Nov. 22, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Australia Nov. 28, 1935 

